Pupils-turned-puppeteers have been letting their imaginations run wild to create some special shows with shadows.
Forty youngsters from Dussindale Primary School yesterday took centre stage at Norwich Puppet Theatre to present a series of shadow puppet performances that they had devised as part of a project with the arts venue.
The school is one of five that have been involved in the first year of the theatre's three-year Start initiative which aims to encourage more children to connect with the theatre.
The other schools, also given the chance to perform at the theatre as part of the project, are Henderson Green Primary School, Sewell Park College, Sprowston Junior School and Falcon Junior School.
Ahead of Dussindale Junior's performance yesterday, puppeteer and workshop leader Zannie Fraser said: 'The children have come to watch shows at the theatre and then Zara Goodfellow and I have visited the schools to do workshops with the students.
'Nearly 400 children have been involved in total over the five schools.
'We went into the schools and explored shadow puppetry and shadows and had a play session, and then the children got into groups to create their own shows.
'They made up their own scenarios and we made puppets with them, and now they are putting on their shows.
'It's all about connecting with a venue, the children have come to see a show, we have been to visit them at school, and then they come back to the theatre to put on their show.'
She said the pupils had created some brilliant performances.
'I am very impressed with their performances because we have asked them to do a lot,' she said.
'They have been great, very imaginative and it has been a real chance for them to let their imagination run and create their own stories from scratch.'
The year two Dussindale Primary pupils yesterday presented 12 short performances.
Dussindale Primary teacher Freya Quick said: 'The children have absolutely loved the project from start to finish.
'They were really inspired by the performances we saw at the theatre, and having Zannie and Zara come to work with them at school was very special for them.
'They children been very independent in creating their shows and what they have come up with is really amazing.'
The theatre's Start project is being funded by a grant of £27,000 over three years from Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts.
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